Adding a Travelcard to an Oyster Card (2)

Neil Garratt: The TfL website - https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/how-to-pay-and-where-to-buy-tickets-and-oyster/... - still claims that customers can add a Travelcard to their Oyster card.

Has TfL recently changed its policy on adding Travelcards to Oyster cards or was my constituent given incorrect advice?

The Mayor: The Transport for London (TfL) website states where customers can buy tickets and top ups for their Oyster card. Seven Day and Monthly Travelcards can be purchased from self-serve ticket machines at all Tube, DLR, London Overground and TfL Rail stations. Annual tickets can be bought online and via the free TfL app.
I can’t comment on the advice given to your constituent. They should find the information they need here: https://tfl.gov.uk/fares/how-to-pay-and-where-to-buy-tickets-and-oyster/buying-tickets-and-oyster?intcmp=54759

Lifts not operating on the London Underground due to an absence of trained staff

Caroline Pidgeon: Please list the dates, length of time of closure, and the name of the Underground Stations for which each lift was out of service solely due to an absence of trained members of staff during 2020.

The Mayor: 26 stations had some form of lift closure due to staff unavailability during 2020. Of these, 71 per cent were for a period of four hours or less.
Staff are trained to operate lifts manually in case the automatic system fails while in customer service. When staff are not available, the lift must be taken out of service for safety reasons. Lifts are also taken out of service when staff are unavailable to support wheelchair users to board and alight trains using a manual boarding ramp.
The data below shows the requested information for lifts that have been taken out of service for both reasons.
Like all employers during the pandemic, during 2020 TfL experienced an increased number of absent staff who have been unable to work because they were sick, shielding, or self-isolating. This led to resourcing challenges across its operations, including stations, which has sometimes affected lift availability. In the event of absences, staff are deployed to minimise the overall impact across the network, taking into account passenger demand at different locations.
Ensuring London's transport network is accessible for all remains a key priority for both me and TfL. TfL will continue to do everything it can to ensure lifts remain open for customers.
Date
Total Hours (in decimal hours)
Bond Street
15/01/2020
0.58
Bond Street
20/01/2020
1.02
Wembley Central
02/02/2020
1.35
Wembley Central
03/02/2020
2.35
Harrow & Wealdstone
07/02/2020
1.80
Bond Street
10/02/2020
0.58
Oakwood
11/02/2020
1.25
Canada Water
14/02/2020
5.22
Canada Water
15/02/2020
7.15
Canada Water
16/02/2020
7.83
Canada Water
18/02/2020
9.93
Canada Water
19/02/2020
19.50
Bromley-By-Bow
03/03/2020
0.30
Harrow & Wealdstone
04/03/2020
1.65
Morden
15/03/2020
3.02
Bond Street
29/03/2020
8.42
Bond Street
30/03/2020
1.08
Bond Street
01/04/2020
0.65
Southfields
11/04/2020
0.47
Bromley-By-Bow
18/04/2020
1.83
Bond Street
20/04/2020
0.73
Bond Street
26/04/2020
2.12
Bond Street
27/04/2020
3.63
Morden
27/04/2020
1.43
Bond Street
28/04/2020
1.73
Bond Street
29/04/2020
0.57
Kingsbury
02/05/2020
1.82
Morden
02/05/2020
2.60
Morden
04/05/2020
2.72
Morden
07/05/2020
2.87
Newbury Park
08/05/2020
5.55
Newbury Park
09/05/2020
8.32
Newbury Park
10/05/2020
2.55
Harrow & Wealdstone
19/05/2020
1.45
Harrow & Wealdstone
20/05/2020
4.30
Harrow & Wealdstone
21/05/2020
5.53
Harrow & Wealdstone
22/05/2020
9.43
Finsbury Park
27/05/2020
17.73
Finsbury Park
28/05/2020
19.78
Finsbury Park
29/05/2020
22.77
Finsbury Park
30/05/2020
4.35
Bond Street
01/06/2020
1.22
Kilburn
06/06/2020
1.45
Bromley-By-Bow
11/06/2020
0.95
Bond Street
14/06/2020
0.32
Wembley Park
16/06/2020
5.45
Bond Street
19/06/2020
3.28
Hainault
24/06/2020
0.03
Bond Street
01/07/2020
0.87
Pinner
04/07/2020
0.57
Bond Street
08/07/2020
0.97
Bond Street
09/07/2020
2.70
London Bridge
10/07/2020
0.13
Tottenham Court Road
11/07/2020
4.45
Kings Cross
15/07/2020
0.03
Bond Street
18/07/2020
0.92
Pinner
19/07/2020
0.73
Bond Street
24/07/2020
0.92
Harrow & Wealdstone
06/08/2020
1.97
Morden
13/08/2020
2.00
Bond Street
15/08/2020
7.53
Bond Street
16/08/2020
1.20
Morden
16/08/2020
5.20
Hounslow East
17/08/2020
0.83
Bond Street
21/08/2020
3.97
Victoria
21/08/2020
6.18
Stratford
22/08/2020
7.13
Stratford
23/08/2020
16.80
Morden
31/08/2020
1.78
Hounslow East
01/09/2020
1.03
Hounslow East
02/09/2020
0.32
Kingsbury
11/09/2020
4.00
Kingsbury
12/09/2020
20.87
Bermondsey
15/09/2020
4.55
Morden
24/09/2020
1.13
Bond Street
25/09/2020
1.02
Newbury Park
03/10/2020
0.73
Bond Street
04/10/2020
0.97
Bond Street
08/10/2020
2.63
Bond Street
09/10/2020
0.12
Brixton
14/10/2020
0.48
Morden
18/10/2020
4.73
Bond Street
20/10/2020
2.03
Caledonian Road
28/10/2020
0.37
Bond Street
31/10/2020
7.75
Brixton
15/11/2020
2.05
Finsbury Park
15/11/2020
1.32
Green Park
05/12/2020
0.95
Hounslow East
08/12/2020
1.10
Bond Street
26/12/2020
5.03
Morden
26/12/2020
3.83
Bond Street
27/12/2020
2.93
Canning Town
30/12/2020
1.07

Completion of Fieldwork for IA 16767

Neil Garratt: In your oral responses to questioning about IA 16767 from Keith Prince on 26 October 2020 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oEC1tARvmI) and 19 November 2020 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1DTvdpyQn4&t=14s) and your responses to Mayor’s Question 2020/4096, Question 2021/0537 and Question 2021/1971, you have consistently stated that “evidence gathering was nearing completion” on IA 16767. However, in correspondence dated 24 November 2016 from TfL to RAIB discovered in your delayed response to Question 2021/1979 it is clearly stated that “the audit field work has been completed”.
Did you - on numerous occasions - intentionally misled the London Assembly or were you unaware of the status of the fieldwork on IA 16767?

The Mayor: Your question reveals a misunderstanding. The audit fieldwork had been completed. Evidence gathering (an activity which is wider that audit fieldwork) was nearing completion. See the email from Internal Audit to Transport for London Legal dated 15 November 2016 which encloses a copy of the draft report and states that “The report has not been shared outside of Internal Audit to date and we are still awaiting evidence for section 4.3.”

TfL’s Failure to honour RAIB’s Request for IA 16767

Neil Garratt: In your long-delayed response to Question 2020/4099 you explicitly state “The RAIB were informed of the uncompleted audit in November 2016 shortly after the Sandilands tragedy and were sent a copy of the letter of engagement on 24 November 2016 and again on 1 February 2017. The RAIB did not request any further details regarding the audit.” However, analysis of email correspondence between TfL and RAIB dated 24 January 2018 discovered in your delayed response to Question 2021/1979 confirms that the RAIB unambiguously requested a copy of IA 16767 on that date.
Please provide me with all internal correspondence (including handwritten notes) associated with TfL’s decision not to honour the RAIB’s clear request for a copy of the ‘not yet finished’ IA 16767 on 24 January 2017.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has co-operated fully with all of the investigations that have taken place. There was no decision by TfL “not to honour” the RAIB’s requests for documents or information. TfL provided RAIB with all documents and information requested. The email in response to the RAIB’s email of 24 January 2018 explained the position as regards IA 16767 fully. The RAIB had been made aware in the early stages of the RAIB investigation that an audit was ongoing at the time of the accident. Having been provided with the Terms of Reference it is understood that the RAIB chose not to examine the audit further because an incomplete audit report was considered by the RAIB to be of limited evidential value given that the RAIB's own investigation into the same topics was ongoing.

Obstruction of London Assembly’s Right of Scrutiny

Keith Prince: Do you accept that your refusal to respond to Question 2021/1984, which reasonably asked for copies of all communications (emails, letters, hand-written notes) associated with TfL’s “new reporting procedure” for First Group TOL’s reporting of safety incidents implemented after the end of November 2020, is in contravention of s45(3) of the GLA Act 1999?

The Mayor: I did not refuse to respond to Mayor’s Question 2021/1984. You and Assembly Member Caroline Pigeon were provided with the document you both requested. In addition, you were advised that in relation to your further request for “all communications (emails, letters, hand-written notes) associated with this action” that this would require an extensive level of searching to be carried out by Transport for London (TfL). You will be aware that TfL resources are extremely limited at the moment and so searching for and then providing any such documents would not be an appropriate or proportionate use of public resources. My previous responses comply with s.45(3) which provides that “The Mayor shall attend every meeting of the Assembly held pursuant to section 52(3) below and shall, subject to subsection (6) below, answer questions put to him at any such meeting by Assembly members about matters in relation to which statutory functions are exercisable by him.”

Adding a Travelcard to an Oyster Card (1)

Neil Garratt: A constituent of mine who has previously added a Travelcard to his Oyster card recently tried to do so at Victoria Underground Station, Victoria Station and West Croydon Station and was told this was not possible. Where should my constituent go to add a Travelcard to his Oyster card?

The Mayor: Earlier this year, the Train Operating Company (TOC) that manages Victoria and West Croydon National Rail stations changed the equipment at their stations. This means they can no longer sell Travelcards and pay as you go top-ups for Oyster cards at their ticket offices.
Customers can top up and buy 7 Day and Monthly Travelcards at the TOC’s self-service ticket machines, as well as from Transport for London’s (TfL) website and app.
A customer publicity campaign was available at the time, and the TOC’s staff were also fully briefed. The Southern website gives clear information on where customers can buy tickets and top up https://www.southernrailway.com/tickets/smartcards-oyster-and-plusbus/oyster
Note that these equipment changes are a decision for the TOC and its supplier and are not a TfL matter.

Delivery of step free access on the London Underground (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Please provide a timescale with exact details of which London Underground stations will obtain step free access during the calendar years of (a) 2021, (b) 2022 and (c) 2023.

The Mayor: Please see the information requested in the table below.
Step-free in 2021
Step-free in 2022
TfL is currently seeking funding to install full or partial step-free access these stations from 2023 onwards
Subject to discussions with TfL’s supply chain, work will restart for completion in the coming years
Amersham (complete)
Knightsbridge
Colindale
Burnt Oak
Debden (complete)
Paddington (Bakerloo lines only)
South Kensington (District & Circle lines only)
Hanger Lane
Ealing Broadway (complete as part of Crossrail)
Bank (Northern line & DLR Interchange only)
Elephant & Castle (Northern line only)
Northolt
Ickenham (complete)
Moorgate (Northern line)
Walthamstow Central
Wimbledon Park (complete)
Waterloo (Northern line only)
Whitechapel (complete – District, Hammersmith & City lines and London Overground – delivered as part of Crossrail works)
Osterley (in progress)
Sudbury Hill (in progress)
Harrow-on-the-Hill (in progress)
Battersea Power Station (NLE, in progress)
Nine Elms (NLE, in progress)
Moorgate (Metropolitan, Circle, Hammersmith & Citylines only)

Data modelling on coronavirus risk from public transport

Caroline Russell: Has Transport for London (TfL) produced any data modelling on coronavirus transmission rates on rail, tube and bus services, and could you provide this to me if so?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has not carried out its own Covid-19 transmission modelling but has supported independent modelling carried out by universities working on behalf of the UK Government. I understand the universities leading these studies (TRACK and VIRAL) are planning to publish results in the coming months. Their modelling has informed a range of transport organisations, including TfL.

Outer London Public Transport

Emma Best: Will you invest in an urgent review on the state of public transport across Outer London, where currently the push to go carless is leaving many isolated?

The Mayor: The overarching aim of my Transport Strategy is to achieve mode shift from the car to walking, cycling and public transport across all of London, including in outer London. This mode shift is crucial to cleaning up London’s air, reducing carbon emissions and enabling London’s sustainable growth. It is also vital that we avoid a car-led recovery from the pandemic, which requires good, sustainable transport alternatives.
Transport for London (TfL) has recently completed an in-depth review of the delivery of all aspects of my transport strategy, including improving public transport, and reported their findings to the TfL Board. The report is published on the TfL website (https://content.tfl.gov.uk/the-mayors-transport-strategy-update-2020-21-acc.pdf). The report identifies areas where progress has been made. The report also identifies those areas where further, continued investment will be required to avoid a car-led recovery from the pandemic and to deliver the longer-term aims of my Transport Strategy, such as improving bus services in outer London.
My focus is to address the priorities identified in this report, which includes securing the necessary funding to further improve public transport in outer London.

TfL Corporate Counsel’s Involvement in Decision to cancel IA 16767

Neil Garratt: In your responses to Question 2020/4094 and Question 2020/4625 you have consistently stated that “all decisions whether to undertake or to discontinue an audit were taken by Transport for London Internal Audit”. However, in internal TfL correspondence discovered in your delayed response to 2021/1979, a minute of the 28 November 2016 meeting between the Director of Internal Audit and TfL’s Corporate Counsel clearly evidences that meeting was where the decision to cancel IA 16767 was taken.

Please provide me with all correspondence – for example decision memorandums, emails, meeting notes (including handwritten) – associated with that 28 November 2016 meeting between TfL’s Director of Internal Audit and TfL’s Corporate Counsel and with an explanation as to why you do not consider your responses to Question 2020/4094 and Question 2021/1979 to be manifestly untruthful.

The Mayor: I refer you to my response to Mayor’s Question 2021/1979 which explained that as advised in my answer to Mayor’s Question 2020/4625, there was a discussion about IA 16767 with Transport for London (TfL) Legal on 28 November 2016. A note of the outcome was recorded in the Audit database but no other note of that meeting has been located. The decision was taken by TfL Internal Audit.

Homicides (3)

Shaun Bailey: For each year financial year, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 please provide a breakdown of the ethnicity of perpetrators of homicide excluding domestic abuse homicide?

The Mayor: 2946_Homicides (3).xlsx

Homicides (1)

Shaun Bailey: For each year financial year, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 what number of homicides were gang related?

The Mayor: Please see below the table below for the requested data:
FY2016/17
FY2017/18
FY2018/19
FY2019/20
FY2020/21
10
14
9
5
16
Note: 'Gang related' is taken to mean when branch flag GA (Gang Crime Flagged) was attached to the Crime Report.

Vision Zero and Rejection of an Independent Judge-Led Investigation of TfL’s Contracted Bus Operation

Keith Prince: In your rejection of Question 2021/2856, you offer your “Vision Zero” approach as obviating the need for an independent investigation of the safety performance of TfL’s contracted bus operation as recently requested by GMB Union.

Based on the facts that—

Your response to Question 2020/3828 reveals that Imperial College’s International Bus Benchmarking Group Data shows that London has consistently ranked in the lower third of its ‘world city peers’ for Pedestrian Deaths from Bus Crashes over the five year period 2015-2019;

Analysis of TfL’s own bus fatality data since 2007 shows that – even though the DfT’s public data shows that the presence of buses and coaches on London’s roads (adjusted for total mileage) has declined from 3% to 1% over the period – TfL buses were involved in an average of 10% of all London Traffic Fatals (2007-2020) and 11% of all Pedestrian Fatalities (2014-2020); and

Evidence submitted by former TfL Board Director and Safety Panel Chair Michael Liebreich to the London Assembly in January 2020 which forensically analysed TfL’s failing bus safety performance under your first term as Mayor and concluded: “no amount of operational tweaks, no number of good people, no amount of hard work, will substantially improve matters unless it is fundamentally reformed”

—do you accept that “your Vision Zero Approach” to Bus Safety has been a manifest failure?

The Mayor: I stand by Vision Zero as being the most comprehensive way to bring down casualties across London in an evidenced and holistic way, looking at all the areas we need to leverage. In my Transport Strategy, I set Transport for London (TfL) the ambitious targets of: (1) a 70 per cent reduction in people killed or seriously injured on or by a bus by 2022 (against the 2005-09 baseline) and (2) no one killed on or by a bus by 2030.
In 2020 we achieved a 78 per cent reduction in those killed or seriously injured, ahead of our target. However, I am not complacent. There are now over 500 new buses that meet the Bus Safety Standard, but I have challenged TfL to look at whether some of these safety features can be retrofitted to the existing fleet to bring about the safety benefits sooner.
TfL is continuing to roll out the innovative ‘Destination Zero’ bus driver training now that most of the pandemic restrictions have lifted and is expanding its work on fatigue management to include a renewed focus on driver health and wellbeing. I am confident that the safe-system approach to bus safety which underpins Vision Zero will drive a continuing reduction in the numbers of people killed or seriously injured as we work towards the 2030 target.

Offences reported at Barnet Police station

Anne Clarke: How many offences were reported at Barnet Police station in each of the past 5 years? If possible, please advise how many of these resulted in a suspect being charged with an offence.

The Mayor: The MPS do not hold the number of offences reported specifically for Barnet Police Station. The table below shows the number of offences reported to a front counter in Barnet borough. The data is for the period 1st August 2016 to the 31st July 2021.
The coronavirus pandemic has impacted on the overall levels of recorded crime across London. In 2020, total notifiable offences (TNO) recorded by the Met decreased by 14% when compared to 2019. Similarly, there was a 13% reduction in TNO recorded as occurring in Barnet borough in the same period.
Offences Reported to a Front Counter on Barnet Borough in the last 5 years
Proceedings resulting from Offences reported to front counters in Barnet borough for the same period. Only 'charge' related proceedings are shown (Charge/ further charge, Postal Requisition Charge and Summons).
From 1 August 2016
802
28
2017
1,910
71
2018
1,548
47
2019
1,499
34
2020
951
32
To 31 July 2021
513
20

PSPOs

Susan Hall: Please provide a list of all Public Space Protection Orderscurrently in placeinLondon?

The Mayor: Public Space Protection Orders are made by Local Authorities, who publish details of them on their websites.

TfL’s failure to cooperate fully and transparently with all Sandilands investigations

Neil Garratt: In yours and your Deputy Mayor for Transport’s responses to London Assembly scrutiny since March 2018, you have repeatedly stated – as in Question 2021/1978 - that “TfL has co-operated fully and transparently with all Sandilands investigations.” How do you reconcile those statements with TfL’s well-evidenced decision not to provide IA 16767 when it was clearly requested by the RAIB on 24 November 2016 and 24 January 2017?

The Mayor: There was no decision by Transport for London “not to provide” IA 16767 to the RAIB. Please see my responseto Mayor’s Question 2021/3726.

Land to the rear of Cadogan Terrace

Unmesh Desai: Will the Mayor clarify whether the Transport for London site at the rear of Cadogan Terrace (E9 5HP) has been designated by the London Legacy Development Corporation (LLDC) as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation, and if so is it still TfL’s intention to sell this land for residential development?

The Mayor: It is indeed the case that the land owned by Transport for London (TfL) at the rear of Cadogan Terrace has been designated as a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. TfL has no plans to sell the site.

Junction at Greenwich South Street

Len Duvall: How does the latest government financial settlement for TfL impact on plans to improve pedestrian safety at the junction of Greenwich South Street, Blackheath Hill and Lewisham Road, which remains a dangerous location?

The Mayor: My responseto Mayor’s Question 2021/3434 explains that in order to progress the scheme, TfL will need to undertake detailed traffic modelling on its updated proposals to include a ‘straight across’ pedestrian crossing at the junction and to ban the right turn from Lewisham Road into Blackheath Hill.
As you will know, TfL is currently operating under a third temporary funding agreement from the Government that is due to expire on 11 December, and it is likely this scheme will progress past this date. It is also likely that works on site will only be possible during the next financial year, subject to funding being available. Nevertheless, TfL and I are fully committed to delivering these proposals when possible and aim to provide an update later in 2021.

Tube Closures (1)

Tony Devenish: Londoners understand the need for regular maintenance work on the Tube and London Overground. However the scale of recent work, at a time when London’s economy is seeking to recover from Covid, seems excessive. Why was more work not carried out during lockdown?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) implemented a ‘safe stop’ to construction activity for twelve weeks during the first coronavirus lockdown in spring 2020. Beyond this twelve week period, TfL made every effort to re-plan closures to carry out works to shorter timescales, however TfL’s ability to complete works was constrained due to staff absence as a result of illness/self-isolation as well as due to social distancing requirements.
TfL has also sought to carry out planned works during lockdowns and periods of lower demand, including planning in additional closures in July 2020 to undertake track repairs in the Hatton Cross area. It also took the opportunity for a one-week closure of the Circle/District lines in August 2021, when Tube journeys remained reduced.
As TfL has found new ways to deliver weekend works and restrictions have eased, there is once again a closure programme making full use of available resources.
Please also see my response to Mayor’s Question 2021/3498 about closures on the London Overground.

Tube Control Room Organograms

Tony Devenish: Please provide a full description with shift patterns and organograms of the Tube control rooms.

The Mayor: The organisational structure of Transport for London’s Service Control Centres (SCC) varies depending on the signalling system and other factors. Each has the following structure of staff critical to service delivery. Other grades/roles also exist.
One Service Control Manager (SCM) who is the employing manager accountable for all staff at the SCC (typically office hours) and the line manager to Service Managers.
There are seven Service Managers (SM). One SM is on duty daily around the clock (early, late and night shifts working a roster) and they oversee operations of the line and are line managers for SCL2s (see below).
Service Controller Level 2 (SCL2) are the ‘Line Controllers’ on duty daily around the clock, working a roster of varying shift times, who control train movements and oversee communications between trains, stations, asset operations, and emergency services. They each manage a ‘desk’ controlling a section of line. The number of desks and therefore number of SCL2s varies depending on the line.

End of Tube Staff Furlough

Tony Devenish: Please confirm the date when you stopped using furlough for Tube staff.

The Mayor: The date the last Transport for London employee returned from the Government’s Job Retention Scheme was the 2 December 2020.

Electric Vehicle Charging

Tony Devenish: How will you work with partners to make charging electric vehicles more affordable to Londoners in order to facilitate the transition to electric cars?

The Mayor: I am committed to ensuring Londoners who are unable to charge a vehicle at home are not penalised through higher costs at public charge points. I support the Transport Committee’s recommendations[1] that Government must address the discrepancy between the 5 per cent VAT incurred for home charging and 20 per cent VAT for on-street, especially as around 25 per cent of car owning households in London do not have access to a private driveway to enable home charging[2].
I am pleased to see that many charge point operators now provide preferential charging rates to key user groups including taxis and private hire vehicles. I have set up a London Charge Point Operators Forum to promote better standardisation and interoperability of systems and will continue to work to improve the overall user charging experience.
Transport for London (TfL) is also working with stakeholders to develop an Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Strategy, due to be published later this year, which will look at how the public and private sectors can further support the delivery of electric vehicle infrastructure so that essential car journeys may be made in the cleanest vehicles.
[1] https://committees.parliament.uk/publications/6985/documents/72845/default/
[2] London Travel Demand Survey (LTDS), TfL, 2015/16 to 2017/18

OWL (Online Watch Link) (6)

Susan Hall: Will you confirm whether a review of any existing crime alert system for London, either by MOPAC or the MPS or by both, is underway or is planned; and if so, what is the date by which the results will be published?

The Mayor: No formal review is currently underway or planned. However, should the MPS wish to make a crime alert system available London wide, that decision will be based on an assessment of cost, suitability and viability of the systems currently available.

Feedback from Officers and Staff Within the Met

Caroline Pidgeon: Given the significant pressures and challenges of the last year, when was the last time the Met surveyed both officers and staff to ask about morale, workload and to gain other feedback on the pressures and concerns of those within the Met, and what were the results of this survey?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) surveys officers and staff bi-annually in May and October. The last survey was conducted in May 2021. These surveys include questions around wellbeing, the support officers/staff have received during the pandemic and level of engagement officers/staff have received.
Results from May (as compared with October the previous year) show there have been small increases in wellbeing and support received whilst engagement has remained stable.
Surveys also contain free text questions to seek the views and suggestions of the workforce and are reviewed so the MPS can act upon any areas of concern.

Lambeth River Station Pontoon Refurbishment (3)

Anne Clarke: What are the current financial forecasts for the pontoon refurbishment? Is this likely to increase when the project is re-tendered?

The Mayor: The current estimate for the total project cost is £3.5m. This estimate is based on the price received following the re-tender of the project. The contractors are now finalising the design to provide a final contract sum for agreement. It is not expected that the contract sum will significantly exceed the initial estimate.

The Government’s ‘Beating Crime’ Plan (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Do you support the Government’s planned relaxation of requirements for the police to undertake section 60 stop and searches, or will you recommit to only supporting evidence-based, intelligence-led stop and search in London?

The Mayor: I support stop and search, including section 60, when it is used in response to intelligence, including intelligence suggesting violence may occur in a specific location. A ‘Section 60’ is deployed in strictly limited circumstances and must be authorised by an officer of the rank of inspector or above; its necessity must be continually reviewed, and its use publicised in the affected area. The MPS began the Home Office pilot in 2019 so will continue applying the same guidance.
As I made clear in my Action Plan for Transparency, Accountability and Trust in Policing, I recognise the disproportionate impact stop and search can have on communities and that it is vital the MPS has the trust and confidence of Londoners. That is why I want more effective community oversight of such powers, and why I have committed to reviewing the existing community monitoring structures. The MPS is already looking to improve their practice and transparency concerning stop and search through enhanced training, coaching and supervision of officers through Body Worn Video and physical observation of encounters which are assessed by line managers.

Pavement slabs being replaced with asphalt

Zack Polanski: Constituents in Brent have had to a form a campaign group, Brent Residents Against Asphalt Pavements (BRAAP) to attempt to reverse a policy from the council there to rip up pavements with paving slabs and replace them with asphalt. The asphalt used is not permeable, and reduces the environmental quality of the pavement, as well as wasting resources by replacing long-lasting paving slabs. Will you ensure no funds from the Greater London Authority (GLA) or Transport for London (TfL) are funding this work, and write to the borough to ask them to reconsider this policy?

The Mayor: Planned maintenance on borough roads, including in Brent, is organised, managed and funded directly by the borough. In May 2016, Brent Council’s Cabinet approved the use of asphalt for planned footway maintenance.
On the Transport for London Road Network, Transport for London reviews the suitability of permeable paving and other sustainable drainage systems wherever possible when planned maintenance, repair or improvement works are scheduled. This is in line with the London Sustainable Drainage Action Plan, as well as the London Environment Strategy commitment for infrastructure to be better prepared for, and more resilient to, extreme heat events.

Solar power on the GLA group buildings and land (2)

Siân Berry: Could you provide me with an update on the current situation for solar power installations on GLA group buildings and land, with an update on the same data provided in your answer to question 2020/0050?

The Mayor: The current City Hall has a total installed capacity of 67kWp from an active cell area of 417m2 solar panels on its roof, which supplied the GLA with 35,459 kWh of renewable energy during the period of 2020-2021 accounting for 1.3% of total energy consumption. 100% of the remaining energy consumed is green energy.
The new City Hall is a flagship sustainable building with BREEAM Outstanding certification. It has arrays of solar PV and solar thermal supplying renewable electricity and hot water. These are being upgraded via the refurbishment works preparing for City Hall to move into the building, to ensure continued excellent sustainability performance.
TfL has over 600kWp of installed solar capacity across its rooftops. The most recently delivered was on the new Train Modification Unit in Acton. TfL only has one land site that has the potential to host solar panels and this is being progressed as part of the Private Wire project, where TfL aims to contract with renewable energy developers to build new solar installations and sell TfL the electricity generated.

Smart Water (1)

Andrew Boff: Please can you provide an update on the Smart Water initiative?

The Mayor: The planning and delivery of Smartwater is led by the MPS Met Trace project.
With the emergence of the global pandemic the MPS decided to pause the Met Trace project due to the enhanced risk of transmitting COVID 19 to members of the public and officers since deployment of the items requires face to face contact and access to people’s homes.
Work has continued to enhance and improve the project and currently we are in the process of negotiating a contract with a new supplier to provide an updated DNA marking system.
We will resume operational delivery of Met Trace in the near future.

Homicides (3)

Susan Hall: For each year financial year, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 how many suspected perpetrators of homicide got bail and how many were released under investigation?

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested data. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with the data to aid in interpretation.
Please note that some suspects may be double counted having been initially bailed and after a period of time changed to RUI status. There are numerous reasons as to why suspects maybe released from custody without charge. These could include obtaining further witness accounts, analysis of CCTV/ANPR, acquiring relevant phone data, or the examination of forensic items.

The Mayor: 2964_Homicide (3).xlsx

No fixed abode

Susan Hall: For each year financial year, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21, broken down by major crime type, how many perpetrators had no fixed abode/address?

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested data. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with the data to aid in interpretation.

The Mayor: 2965_No fixed abode.xlsx

Smart Water (3)

Andrew Boff: For each year financial year, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 how many times has stolen property been traced because of smart water?

The Mayor: Smart Water is known to have a significant deterrent effect for potential thieves. The MPS are not able to release this information as disclosure would provide the public, including those with criminal intent, the ability to gauge the likelihood of stolen property being traced and potentially exploiting any perceived weaknesses in specific areas in the prevention and detection of crime.

Confiscated guns

Susan Hall: For each year financial year, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 how many guns were confiscated by the Met police, and what happened to the guns e.g. destroyed?

The Mayor: Full data is not available across the periods requested.
Between April 2018 and June 2021, the Violent Crime Task Force recovered 671 firearms. This data captures all firearms recovered regardless of the method and includes firearms recovered from stop and searches, the execution of search warrants, weapon sweeps and voluntary surrenders. This figure includes CS spray, air weapons, cross bows, ammunition and lethal barrelled weapons.
Most firearms seized are destroyed; however, they may be retained for a limited period if they form part of the evidence in prosecution. Additionally, the Metropolitan Police retain a small number of firearms every year for research and development purposes.

Police “Walk and Talk” Scheme

Marina Ahmad: What does the Met hope to achieve with its “Walk and Talk” scheme that is currently running in Lambeth and Southwark, which sees female officers “buddy up” with women while walking?

The Mayor: The intention of the MPS’s “Walk and Talk” scheme in Lambeth and Southwark is to build trust with women who don’t feel safe walking London’s streets. The aim of it is to start a conversation between members of the public and officers about what worries they have and what can be done to alleviate them. It is one aspect of the MPS’s VAWG deployment plan following the deep public concern and outrage following the tragic murder of Sarah Everard in Lambeth in March. The MPS have also issued a mapping request through community safety partnerships to highlight where women are feeling vulnerable in order to focus additional activity.
The scheme forms part of a programme of community engagement and reassurance activities. It intends to improve the MPS’s understanding of the experiences of local women and to inform what is needed to improve women’s safety in public spaces and to provide reassurance.

Domestic Abuse (5)

Sem Moema: What training do officers receive in responding to incidents of Domestic Abuse and violence against women and girls? How does this training ensure the victims feel that they are believed and supported?

The Mayor: I have recognised that the response to domestic abuse needs a more nuanced and specialist approach and have invested in Domestic Abuse (DA) Matters training, provided by SafeLives, for 8,500 frontline police officers and staff. This training is currently being undertaken and will greatly increase the knowledge and skills of officers to enable them to respond effectively to incidents of domestic abuse and wider violence against women and girls.
Further, training for student officers has been overhauled to match the DA Matters training and the Community Safety Unit course has been revised and extended from a 2-day to a 5-day course.

Lambeth River Station Pontoon Refurbishment (2)

Anne Clarke: Is the failure to refurbish the pontoon financially impacting upon the brigade, either in increased maintenance costs or other costs to the Brigade?

The Mayor: The works to refurbish the Lambeth River Station are ongoing. The project is currently in the pre-construction phase and works on the refurbishment are due to start in autumn 2021. Regular planned and responsive maintenance continues to be carried out at the station as normal, the costs of which are in line with the expected requirements of London’s other fire stations.

Restoration of the 60+ London Oyster photocard to use before 9.00am

Caroline Pidgeon: TfL’s website currently states: “We've changedthe hours you can travel to reduce crowding on our services and help social distancing.” With social distancing rules now relaxed do these arguments still apply and justify the restriction on travel facing people over 60 years of age?

The Mayor: These changes were designed to help reduce the risk of crowding and aid social distancing at busy times on the network. Whilst the decision to introduce these restrictions was not taken lightly, they remain in place while Transport for London (TfL) monitors public transport use following the changes to Government’s wider social distancing rules on all public transport networks.
As the pandemic recedes, TfL is considering whether or not these temporary changes should be retained in the longer term, including taking into account both the impact on older people and the foregone income associated with providing free travel before 9am.You will be aware that Government has asked TfL to conduct a review of revenue raising options as a condition of the most recent TfL funding agreement.
It is worth noting that holders of these cards are still eligible for unlimited free travel on TfL’s services from 9 a.m. on Mondays to Fridays and any time at weekends and bank holidays.

Domestic Abuse (1)

Sem Moema: What services have been funded by GLA functional bodies in Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest to (a) support victims of domestic abuse and (b) reduce offending by perpetrators.

The Mayor: MOPAC provides funding to the London Boroughs of Hackney, Islington and Waltham Forest for VAWG services, including domestic abuse support services, through the London Crime Prevention Fund.
Alongside this, MOPAC funds multiple pan-London services providing domestic abuse support including Ascent Advice Plus, the London Victim and Witness Service and the London Stalking Support Service. Direct grants have also recently been made to Women’s Trust, the London Borough of Waltham Forest and the Nia project to deliver domestic abuse support in these boroughs through funding provided from the Ministry of Justice.
The Stalking Threat Assessment Centre works pan London to reduce offending by perpetrators of stalking through a multi-agency behaviour change programme. MOPAC has also recently been awarded funding from the Home Office to support the continuation of a project in Hackney and Waltham Forest tackling the behaviour of domestic abuse perpetrators.

Tube Dust

Hina Bokhari: I understand that in 2019 TfL carried out a trial of a very powerful trolley-based vacuum cleaner on the Piccadilly line between Barons Court and Earl’s Court stations, which successfully reduced both inhalable and respirable dust and that last year TfL trialled a similar methodology on sections of the Bakerloo and Victoria lines. Please set out how TfL is now taking forward further action to tackle tube dust.

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) remains committed to tackling Tube dust, and London Underground operates well within the Health and Safety Executive specified limits.
TfL has undertaken a range of innovative cleaning initiatives to identify effective methods for reducing dust particles. These initiatives include industrial back-pack vacuum cleaners.
Following the successful trial on the Piccadilly line in 2019, TfL has incorporated this methodology into all tunnel cleaning, with at least 10,000 metres of tunnel cleaning carried out each period using vacuum back-pack cleaners, with specially adapted filters which increase their effectiveness. This work continued throughout the pandemic.
As well as this regular programme, TfL has used a similar methodology to deep clean 167 stations so far in 2021/2022, as well as large-scale cleans on the Bakerloo line in 2019 and the Victoria and Waterloo & City lines, as well as the Northern Line Extension, in 2020.

Tackling graffiti

Nicholas Rogers: Please outline your strategy for tackling graffiti, especially with regards to repeat offenders.

The Mayor: Local authorities are responsible for removing graffiti from public buildings, monuments, benches and bins The MPS do work at neighbourhood level with local authority partners to look at how to prevent and deter crimes involving damage through local problem-solving activity.
All neighbourhood crimes are assessed and recorded when they are reported to the police. Where offenders are identified, they are dealt with in line with prosecution and CPS protocols. Repeat offenders are subject to review through the Integrated Offender Management system where persistent criminals are identified and the MPS work in partnership to deter, divert and prevent reoccurrence.

The Role of Prejudicial Stereotypes in the Formation of Suspicion – Stop and Search (1)

Caroline Pidgeon: Do you share my concern at the conclusions of the recent research paper, The role of prejudicial stereotypes in the formation of suspicion: An examination of operational procedures in stop and search practices, published in the International Journal of Police Science and Management, which states in its findings, based on data and interviews with officers from a UK shire force, that “negative stereotypes might well be a potential key contributing factor in the overall disproportionate number of Black, Asian and Mixed communities in stop and search figures.” How are you reviewing Met stop and search practices in light of this?

The Mayor: I share the concerns highlighted in the report about the disproportionate impact of stop and search, which is a key focus within my Action Plan for Transparency, Accountability and Trust in Policing. As a result of my Action Plan and recommendations made by other regulatory bodies the MPS continues to review stop and search practices to ensure the powers are used lawfully and proportionately.
A number of key changes have been implemented, including increased supervision, enhanced community-based training which enables officers to see the impact on those who are stopped and searched, and improved scrutiny and training focused on unconscious bias. My Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime is maintaining oversight of this work through her regular meetings with the senior MPS officer lead for stop and search.

Hate crimes against NHS staff

Nicholas Rogers: For each year financial year, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 how many hate crimes were committed against NHS staff in London?

The Mayor: Please see the available information in the attached spreadsheet. The notes page should be read in conjunction with these data to aid in interpretation.
There is no way for the MPS to distinguish whether victims work in the Private Health Sector or whether any locations are Private hospitals/Private health clinics, therefore the information supplied may not be an accurate count of NHS staff or NHS locations.

The Mayor: 2917_Hate crimes against NHS staff.xlsx

Corruption investigations

Unmesh Desai: How many officers have faced disciplinary action (written warning, final written warning, reduction on rank or dismissal without notice) as a result of corruption investigations within the Met in each of the last 5 years?

The Mayor: The table below shows disciplinary cases where the word ‘corruption’ was found in the allegation summary, or the allegation type was shown as ‘corrupt practice’ (older regulations) or the category ‘abuse of position/corruption’ (new regulations).
Sanction
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Dismissal Without Notice
7
9
10
2
1
2
Would Have Been Dismissed
0
0
0
5
3
2
Final Written Warning
4
3
6
2
1
1
Written Warning
4
1
5
2
2
3
Management Advice
4
4
1
2
1
0
Refer to AA for RPRP
0
0
0
0
0
1
No Action
1
1
9
0
2
0
Not Proven
3
2
3
7
0
0
Grand Total
23
20
34
20
10
9
Note that corruption is difficult to define, and this data was gathered on the specific criteria set out above.
The National Police Chiefs Council (NPCC) defines corruption as “the improper exercise of power or privilege for the purpose of achieving a personal benefit or a benefit or detriment to another person”.
Note also that cases that took place in 2020 and 2021 may be still under investigation and not reflected in the data.

Screening out crime

Unmesh Desai: Please advise the proportion of crimes, in percentage terms, that have been screened out, by crime type and by month, since January 2020.

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested data. The supplied notes page should be read in conjunction with the data to aid in interpretation.
Crimes are screened out where there is no evidence at that time to take the investigation further. Before the crime is screened out, a local crime manager will review the initial investigation carried out by the reporting officer. The crime will only be screened out where the local crime manager has confirmed that there are no further lines of enquiry that can be actively pursued at the time. Should further evidence be received at any time, the crime will be screened back in for investigation.

The Mayor: 3140_Screening out crime.xlsx

Corruption IOPC referrals

Unmesh Desai: How many Met officers have been referred to the IOPC in relation to corruption since 2015? Please also advise the outcome of the cases that have been resolved by the IOPC.

The Mayor: The table below shows the number of overt referrals to the IOPC with the reason for referral being recorded as ‘corruption, serious corruption or abuse of position for sexual purpose’.
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
Total
111
88
96
62
47
21
6
Not all referrals are investigated by the IOPC. For the outcomes of IOPC investigations, please contactthe IOPC.
Since 2015, the MPS has also made covert referrals to the IOPC. The number of covert referrals is not a figure the MPS would publish due to the need to maintain confidentiality.

Safety in local town centres in Brent and Harrow

Krupesh Hirani: Safety is often cited as a reason why people are choosing to drive to larger supermarkets rather than walking or cycling to local town centres. What specific measures are the Mayor of London and the Metropolitan Police considering or enacting to improve safety in smaller town centres?

The Mayor: I will continue to work tirelessly in partnership with the MPS, businesses and local councils to improve safety on our streets and in local communities. I remain committed to ensure there are a minimum of two Dedicated Ward Officers and one Police Community Support Officer allocated to every ward in the city. My Violence Reduction Unit and the MPS will continue to support London boroughs to develop and embed their action plans to tackle knife crime and violence at a local level. I have been working with local businesses and Business Crime Reduction Partnerships to share best practice and training to keep themselves and their communities safe from violence. Transport for London works closely with Brent and Harrow to deliver improvements to cycle safety. TfL, MOPAC, and MPS also ensure that safety and reducing crime is paramount in designing safe places across London.

Car Clubs (1)

Keith Prince: Do you recognise the benefits of expanding car club provision in London, in terms of reducing overall car journeys?

The Mayor: While my priority is to support Londoners to walk, cycle and use public transport rather than drive wherever possible, I recognise that car clubs can play an important role in assisting Londoners who want to move away from private car ownership.
Car club provision should be considered on a case-by-case basis to ensure it contributes to reduced levels of overall car use. This position is set out in both my Transport Strategy and London Plan, which support the provision of car clubs when paired with a reduction in the availability of private parking.

LFB and Recycling (1)

Leonie Cooper: What assessment has been made of the reasons why LFB has not met its recycling targets for the last four years?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) has made considerable progress in increasing the percentage of waste it recycles in recent years. LFB recycled 60 per cent (of their 80 per cent target) of its waste in 2019/20 compared to 54 per cent in 2017/18. This increased to just under 65 per cent of waste in 2021 to date.
Detailed waste data is provided to LFB by its waste removal supplier and is analysed to understand why the target is being missed. Achieving recycling targets relies heavily on staff behaviours. To help staff engage with onsite recycling, LFB has 356 Green Champions, the role of a green champion is to inform colleagues of any changes in sustainability policy or procedures and ensure recycling and energy saving initiatives are being carried out correctly.
Analysis of waste data at site level is followed up by audits and site visits to understand the most important factors in improving levels of recycling.

LFB and Recycling (2)

Leonie Cooper: What actions is LFB taking to ensure it hits its recycling targets during the 2021/22 financial year?

The Mayor: London Fire Brigade (LFB) analyses data regularly to identify areas for intervention to improve recycling rates. Several initiatives are being considered and implemented to secure further improvements in the recycling rates.
These include targeted engagement with LFB premises with the lowest recycling rates to improve awareness. LFB has launched a pilot study with those premises that do not consistently separate food waste to understand how this can be improved and is undertaking education and training initiatives alongside its waste removal supplier. Regular waste audits are completed and improved signage and additional resources such as food waste caddies are provided to assist with segregation of the waste streams. A review is about to commence on the capacity of bins and frequency of collections for each waste stream to identify if changes could be made to put further emphasis on recycling.

Knife offences gang flagged

Unmesh Desai: How many knife crime offences had a ‘gang flag’ in each of the last 5 years? Please provide a breakdown of the proportion of knife offences with and without a gang flag.

The Mayor: Please see below table for the requested information:
Financial Year
Knife Crime
Gang flagged knife crime
% Gang flagged
2016/17
12110
304
2.5%
2017/18
14780
173
1.2%
2018/19
14869
148
1.0%
2019/20
15623
92
0.6%
2020/21
10413
106
1.0%
Grand Total
67795
823
1.2%
The table shows the count of offences of knife crime and offences of knife crime with a branch flag GA (Ganged Crime flagged).

HMICFRS’ Response to Hestia’s Super Complaint on the Police’s Response to Victims of Modern Slavery

Caroline Pidgeon: HMICFRS recently responded to the charity Hestia’s super complaint on the police’s response to victims of modern slavery. How are you working with the Met and MOPAC to understand specific learning recommendations that are relevant to the force from this report to ensure victims of modern slavery in London get the best support and service possible when engaging with the Met?

The Mayor: MOPAC is working collaboratively with other PCCs across the country to develop its response to the Hestia super-complaint. A formal response will be published in September. The MPS are working with NPCC to respond to their recommendations.

Child Safeguarding and the Met (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: What further work will you be doing over the next three years to try and improve child safeguarding practices within the Met? I am particularly interested in any work you will undertake to improve data sharing between the Met and local authorities in terms of vulnerable children and those in out of area placements.

The Mayor: In April 2021 the MPS began the roll out of Operation Aegis. The two-year project will see teams of experienced coaches and officers visiting every BCU for 14 weeks at a time upskilling frontline officers in six key areas of public protection with an emphasis on child safeguarding throughout.
In order to improve data sharing, the MPS HQ Strategy and Governance team are currently developing a monthly report which will be provided to local authorities and LSCPs across London. The data will include, but is not restricted to, information relating to missing children, child exploitation, intra-familial / professional child abuse, and the use of police protection powers.
The MPS now also record all concerns of child exploitation on a specific new crime report which is programmed to prompt the officer to identify and detail the risk at the recording stage of the investigation.
The 2021 Child Exploitation Pan London Protocol details the process for the MPS and Local Authority that must be followed if a child moves to a care setting either within or outside of the London area. A time limit of 24 hours is placed on this process. The relevant Multi Agency Criminal Exploitation (MACE) meeting will work to ensure the correct systems/procedures are in place for all child placements.
The VRU is currently funding the University of Bedfordshire to deliver Contextual Safeguarding (CS) training to social work teams cross 4 London Boroughs (Merton, Sutton, Ealing and B&D). Teams will develop new strands of approaches to children’s safeguarding practices with a contextualised approach informing how they manage the needs of children and young people in their locality.

Antisemitic attacks on the tube

Anne Clarke: Are you aware of the large number of antisemitic attacks on Jewish people on public transport on the weekend of 3rd and 4th July, which were publicised on twitter? Will you join me in condemning them and reassuring the public that you are working closely with the Jewish community to ensure their safety in public?

The Mayor: Reports from Transport for London so far indicate that there were three anti-Semitic incidents on the transport network on the weekend of 3 and 4 July. Two were reports to British Transport Police of incidents on London Underground and one was a report to the Metropolitan Police Service of an incident on the bus network. Two of those incidents involved the same victim and footage of those incidents was widely shared on social media.
Attacks on public transport are, thankfully, very rare, but any incidents of this nature are completely unacceptable, and I condemn them without hesitation.
Antisemitism has absolutely no place in our city and I share the concerns expressed regarding the recent rise in incidents. London’s Jewish communities make an invaluable contribution to life in our city and I will continue to do what’s necessary to ensure they feel as safe and welcome as all Londoners. I am in close contact with Jewish communities and have discussed our shared concerns with the Commissioner. As a result, Londoners will have seen an increased police presence around synagogues, Jewish faith schools and transport hubs and there will continue to be high-visibility policing as and when required.
An anti-Semitic attack on one of us is an attack on all of us and I’m determined to do everything I can to tackle all forms of hate. That’s why I have invested more than £6 million – more than any previous Mayor – to support London’s diverse communities and tackle the scourge of hate crime.

ULEZ expansion

Leonie Cooper: ULEZ will be expanded into in my constituency in October, but there is very little advertisement of the change at the roadside or on billboards. Can the Mayor urgently work to get more adverts, signs and local information out to residents?

The Mayor: Since October 2020, Transport for London has been running a comprehensive awareness campaign using a combination of channels. The campaign is still on-going and will continue through to March 2022. The campaign continues to include posters at the roadside across Merton and Wandsworth as well as advertisements in the Wandsworth & Wimbledon Times and the face to face distribution of leaflets at locations in Balham, Earlsfield, Putney, Roehampton, Tooting, Battersea, Clapham Junction and Southfields.
Boundary and non-boundary signage is currently being installed in Wandsworth and signage installation in Merton has been completed. The early warning boundary signs have a cover explaining ‘Ultra Low Emission Zone new boundary will operate here from 25 Oct’ and these will be uncovered during the weekend of 22-24 October.

Hammersmith Bridge

Leonie Cooper: With the bridge opening to pedestrians and cyclists, can the Mayor update me on discussions with the Government and councils on getting funding resolved to fully fix the bridge?

The Mayor: The decision by the London Borough of Hammersmith & Fulham (LBHF) to partially reopen Hammersmith Bridge is welcome news to the communities and businesses that have experienced significant disruption since the bridge was first closed. This followed a series of detailed inspections and essential works undertaken by Transport for London (TfL).
On 16 August 2021, LBHF, as the owner of the bridge, appointed Mott MacDonald to progress the required designs for its initial stabilisation. It now needs to submit a full business case to the Government. TfL is working closely and at pace with LBHF and the Department for Transport (DfT) to progress the required Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will set out how the works are funded, with a revised draft of the MoU expected from the DfT within the next two weeks.

Lack of a Written Record re “Debate over Covid-19 Risk Reduction Actions”

Keith Prince: Do you accept that your response to Question 2021/0124 that TfL has no written record of “debate over [Covid-19] interventions that were not part of PHE advice” (as requested in Question 2020/2694) can be interpreted as TfL actively obstructing any future independent enquiries on the deaths of London Bus Drivers from Covid-19?

The Mayor: Not at all. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, the health, safety and wellbeing of staff and customers has been at the heart of Transport for London’s response.
Transport for London (TfL) followed the official advice from Public Health England (PHE) which primarily focused on hand hygiene and social distancing. As the pandemic progressed, there were conflicting views of potential mitigations and interventions that may help prevent the spread of COVID-19. These were discussed, and TfL only recommended measures aligned to PHE advice. As PHE advice changed over time, so too did TfL’s guidance to operators.
With regard to TfL’s “Response to UCL’s assessment of London Bus Driver Mortality from COVID-19” (which you refer to in Question 2020/2694), while notes of the discussions were not captured, the comprehensive list of interventions taken by TfL and the bus operators at the start of the pandemic are set out in the appendix of that document. This includes examples where a small number of measures were taken by the bus operators contrary to, or in addition to, PHE advice; such as where some operators introduced temperature testing or provided masks before these were recommended by PHE.

TfL’s first-ever “research” on Remote Sign-On

Keith Prince: Further to your response to Question 2021/1959, did TfL commission its first-ever “research” on the safety of Remote Sign-on to assist Unite the Union or Bus Contractor Metroline?

The Mayor: The research into remote sign on is not being conducted with any specific organisation in mind. It is an independent consideration of the use of remote sign on and whether it might be suitable for the bus industry in the future.
Transport for London regularly conducts independent research. It has previously commissioned independent research on the health risks to bus drivers from the pandemic and how best to safeguard them using an evidence-based approach. This was in addition to an earlier study into the types of fatigue drivers might face and how best to reduce these with different approaches and technologies.

Explanation for Completely Blacked-out Email contained in your response to Question 2021/1979

Neil Garratt: In the documents you provided in response to Question 2021/1979, there is an email written in response to the RAIB’s 24 January 2017 request for “not yet finished” IA 16767 that is completely blacked-out. Please outline a) who wrote that email, b) who was sent that email, c) what was the subject of that email and d) what was the date and time-stamp on that email? Please explain why the contents of this email are protected from public scrutiny?

The Mayor: I refer you to my response to Mayor’s Question 2021/1979 which explained that “Some documents which are legally privileged have not been provided. Where possible partial documents have been provided with non-privileged material.” The redacted sections of the emails in question are legally privileged.

Electoral Commission referrals

Unmesh Desai: Please advise how many referrals the Electoral Commission have made to the Met Police since 2011. Please also advise what proportion of these were investigated, resulted in charges being made, and resulted in convictions.

The Mayor: Since 2011 there have been eight referrals to the Metropolitan Police from the Electoral Commission. Four referrals were investigated, with no prosecutions or convictions being made.

TfL High Barnet Station development (3)

Andrew Boff: Is Taylor Wimpey still the development partner for TfL’s High Barnet tube station development?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor's Question 2021/3646.

TfL High Barnet Station development (1)

Andrew Boff: Will you please confirm the current status of the proposed TfL development at High Barnet tube station?

The Mayor: Transport for London (TfL) has been working with Taylor Wimpey to deliver hundreds of homes at High Barnet and Finchley Central. Unfortunately, as a result of the pandemic, Taylor Wimpey has restructured its organisation and it no longer wishes to pursue the opportunities in Barnet. TfL is committed to bringing forward homes in these locations and is considering its next steps given the urgent need to tackle the capital’s housing crisis. TfL will engage with the local community and Barnet Council throughout.

TfL High Barnet Station development (2)

Andrew Boff: Will the proposed TfL development at High Barnet tube station still be going ahead?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor's Question 2021/3646.

Women Feel London is Becoming Less Safe

Caroline Pidgeon: Recent research conducted by Redfield & Wilton Strategies found that 50% of women in the capital feel London is currently becoming more unsafe. How are you going to work to address this?

The Mayor: These findings are of course a concern. It is unacceptable that so many women and girls do not feel safe because of the attitudes and behaviours of men. Women should not have to change the way they live their lives. It's men that need to change - and we must root out the abhorrent behaviours that too often lead to violence.
Tackling all forms of violence against women and girls (VAWG) remains one of my top priorities. From supporting victims, to bringing perpetrators to justice, I’m determined to do everything I can to ensure that victims get the support they need and that dangerous offenders are dealt with.
Since 2016 I have invested a record £60.5m in programmes dedicated to tackling VAWG. I aim to make London a safer place for women and girls, and I will focus on the issues which matter most to them through the refresh of my VAWG Strategy.

Sexual assaults on public transport (2)

Caroline Russell: What specific work are you, MOPAC and the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) doing to support groups of people who are more at risk of sexual assault, including people who work at night, trans people, people who are homeless or rough sleeping, people with a disability, and African, Caribbean, Asian, Latino and other minority ethnic Londoners?

The Mayor: London at night must be inclusive and accessible to all, regardless of age, gender, ethnicity, economic background or sexual orientation. I will not tolerate sexual assault of any kind and concerted action is underway to deal with this issue.
In 2018, I published my Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG) strategy, which sets out my vision for a safer London for women and girls over the period 2018 to 2021. Through this, a range of projects are being funded totalling £15m and including £3.4m to sustain current innovation in Drive, a Domestic Abuse Perpetrator programme, the London Stalking Threat Assessment Centre, and the London Survivors Gateway, as well as £3.4m for developing grassroots provision and specialist VAWG services. I fundspecialistVAWG services for women from Black, Asian andminority ethnic groups, as well as LGBTQ+ and male survivors of violence.
My Women’s Night Safety Charter is also part of the VAWG strategy and aims to make London a city where all women feel confident and welcome at night. The Charter is a series of simple pledges for organisations to sign up to, including demonstrating that an organisation takes women’s night-time safety seriously and designing spaces to make them safer for women at night. The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC), Transport for London (TfL), and my Night Czar, Amy Lame, are working with stakeholders and unions to increase the number of organisations signed up to the Charter.
On the transport network, TfL’s ‘Report it to stop it’ campaign encourages people to report any form of unwanted sexual behaviour they experience, where unwanted sexual behaviour is anything that makes a person feel uncomfortable. Building on this, TfL is working with the Rail Delivery Group, transport industry, transport police, stakeholders and academics to tackle unwanted sexual behaviour on public transport, through a new communications campaign, training for transport staff and developing new ways to report. TfL’s planned introduction of CCTV on Central and Piccadilly lines aims to improve the safety on these lines as well as people’s perception of safety. TheMetropolitan Police Service (MPS) also have police officers at maintransporthubs to support anyone feeling vulnerable.

Town Centre Policing Teams

Nicholas Rogers: What are the criteria for determining which areas will receive the new town centre police teams? Will availability of building space play a role?

The Mayor: The deployment of officers is an operational decision for the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS). The MPS will prioritise town centre areas with the highest risk in terms of crime, harm to communities and demand on policing. The decisions will not be based on building capacity.

Police Encounter Panels (1)

Sem Moema: What is your assessment of the contribution Police Encounter Panels will make to increasing transparency, accountability and trust in policing?

The Mayor: Police Encounter Panels (PEPs) are a forum where local communities can review a wider range of policing incidents and effectively share their lived experiences.
Given PEPs have only recently been introduced, it is too early to make a meaningful assessment of their effectiveness, but the development of the PEPs illustrates the MPS’s commitment to extend opportunities to review its work and its willingness to ensure that its services are informed by those they serve.

Law Enforcement and E-scooters (2)

Sem Moema: What police enforcement activity concerning the illegal use of e-scooters has taken place in areas participating in the e-scooter trial and those areas that are not participating? Please provide information by borough where available.

The Mayor: The MPS does not have details on enforcement activity by borough. The majority of police enforcement remains around private e-scooter use, as these vehicles do not have insurance or a valid vehicle classification. Instances where rental scooters are contravening the rules of the trial, including running red lights or being ridden on the pavement, for example, can be reported to the operators who can ban riders and their accounts if riders repeatedly break the rules.

Supporting Tech Start-ups with Safeguarding

Caroline Pidgeon: London has a proud reputation for our tech start-ups. However, with increasing reports of online child sexual abuse how are you, through MOPAC and as Chair of the LEAP, working with the tech sector and particularly London’s tech start-ups to promote the importance of safeguarding measures for children and protections against the sharing of child sexual abuse content?

The Mayor: In October 2020, City Hall launched the digital safeguarding checklist to help organisations think about the risks of the digital space and develop an approach that will meet their needs and provide protection for staff and users.
The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) have been working closely with Ofcom to create a referral pathway to deal with child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and support Ofcom’s work with video sharing platforms to ensure they are compliant with rules protecting users from harmful content.
My Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime also holds the MPS to account in their work to safeguard and protect children. During the lockdown, the MPS carried out Op Legatum, targeting individuals involved in online child abuse, along with a widespread communications campaign to raise awareness of the risks of online abuse.
In my manifesto I committed to publishing an Emerging Technology Charter. This will help to ensure that London remains a world-leading smart city and testbed for innovation, while also helping innovators to build products and technologies that are transparent, designed around the needs of Londoners and meet the highest standards for all Londoners, including privacy, safety and cyber security.

The draft charter has been published on London.gov.uk here: https://www.london.gov.uk/publications/emerging-technology-charter-london

Police stations and offices

Nicholas Rogers: For the following boroughs, please provide the locations of police stations and offices, and future plans for these locations:
• The London Borough of Hounslow
• The Royal Borough of Kingston upon Thames,
• The London Borough of Richmond upon Thames

The Mayor: Thanks to the record levels of City Hall investment in the Met and the Government’s partial reversal of cuts, officer numbers are rising. Consequently, a review of the Met’s entire estate is underway in order to look at the long-term plans for police station buildings and the potential impact from the increase in police officer numbers. My top priority is to make Londoners safer – I have ensured that there’s a 24-hour police front counter in every London borough and the review of the Met’s estate will not mean changes to this commitment.Of the sites listed below two marked with * were approved for disposal in June 2021.
Hounslow
CHISWICK POLICE STATION (Former Police Station - No Front Counter) *
205-207 HIGH ROAD CHISWICK LONDON W4 2DU
FELTHAM POLICE STATION (Former Police Station - No Front Counter)
34 HANWORTH ROAD FELTHAM MIDDLESEX TW13 5BD
HOUNSLOW POLICE STATION 24/7 Front Counter for London borough of Hounslow
3-5 MONTAGUE ROAD HOUNSLOW MIDDLESEX TW3 1LB
Kingston Upon Thames
KINGSTON POLICE STATION 24/7 Front Counter for London borough of Kingston upon Thames
KINGSTON POLICE STATION, 5 & 7 HIGH STREET, KINGSTON, SURREY, KT1 1LB
EAGLE HOUSE Office for variety of teams/ functions
EAGLE HOUSE, RAM PASSAGE, HIGH STREET, KINGSTON, SURREY, KT1 1HH
YMCA SURBITON GROUND FLOOR PART Safer Neighbourhood Office
YMCA SURBITON, PART GROUND FLOOR, 49 VICTORIA ROAD, SURBITON, SURREY, KT6 4NG
HOOK ROAD 391 Safer Neighbourhood Office
391 HOOK ROAD, CHESSINGTON, SURREY, KT9 1AB
Richmond Upon Thames
TEDDINGTON POLICE STATION (Former Police Station - No Front Counter) *
18 PARK ROAD TEDDINGTON MIDDLESEX TW11 0AQ
TWICKENHAM POLICE STATION 24/7 Front Counter for London borough of Richmond upon Thames
41 LONDON ROAD TWICKENHAM MIDDLESEX TW1 3SY
RICHMOND PARK POLICE OFFICE Office for Royal Parks Police
HOLLY LODGE RICHMOND PARK RICHMOND SURREY TW10 5HS
CENTRE HOUSE GROUND FLOOR PART Safer Neighbourhood Office
(PART) GROUND FLOOR 68 SHEEN LANE LONDON SW14 8PL
TANGLEY PARK ROAD 27 Safer Neighbourhood Office
27 TANGLEY PARK ROAD HAMPTON MIDDLESEX TW12 3YH

LFB and Engaging Young People (2)

Anne Clarke: Prior to being discontinued the LIFE programme engaged with consistently more young people than the Fire Cadets scheme. What work has the LFB undertaken to increase engagement with young people and to increase the uptake in this scheme?

The Mayor: With Fire Cadet units being launched in every London borough in 2021, there has been a drive to publicise places and availability, utilising direct engagement with referral agencies such as schools and charities, and promotion through press releases and social media. The Cadets themselves are also a good way of publicising the scheme, informing friends and family. In addition to Fire Cadets, London Fire Brigade increased the number of volunteers supporting the scheme from 200 to over 400. Further opportunities to promote Fire Cadets will be arranged as pandemic restrictions reduce, with more face-to-face events being organised at both borough and London-wide levels, including station open days and attendance at partnership events. As each Fire Cadet unit runs for 12 months, with further opportunities to stay for a number of years as officers and volunteers, there are more opportunities for Fire Cadets and Volunteers to promote the programme. This contrasts with the LIFE programme which runs for one week.

LFB and Engaging Young People (1)

Anne Clarke: Numbers of young people engaged with LIFE were consistently higher than those engaged with Fire cadets, what assessment has been made of why this was the case?

The Mayor: Fire Cadets sessions were launched in 2013 and initially served five London boroughs. These boroughs were identified via levels of deprivation to young peoplein collaboration with Local Authorities. During that period LIFE engaged with more young people due to its structure, capacity, and the fact that LIFE courses only run for one week, with no further engagement afterwards. In contrast, young people attending cadets receive ongoing engagement, lasting one year as a minimum with further opportunities to stay for a number of years as officers and volunteers, supporting units on an ongoing basis. Cadets has experienced significant growth since 2013 and now delivers units in every London borough, with a capacity of 759 young peoplein total and over 400 volunteers. While LIFE had capacity for 860 young people per annum, it never reached that number due to lack of referrals, or young people not turning up or not completing the programme.

Knives confiscated in Bromley

Peter Fortune: For each year financial year, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 how many knives were confiscated in Bromley?

The Mayor: Full data is not available across the periods requested.
Between April 2018 and June 2021 there have been 353 knives recovered by the Metropolitan Police in the South Area BCU (which includes Bromley). This data captures all knives recovered regardless of the method, including those recovered from stop and search, the execution of search warrants, weapon sweeps and voluntary surrenders.
Unless being kept for evidential purposes all the knives are collected in bulk from the police exhibits central location by a registered ironmonger who takes them to a foundry for melting.

Knives confiscated in Bexley

Peter Fortune: For each year financial year, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 how many knives were confiscated in Bexley?

The Mayor: Full data is not available across the periods requested.
Between April 2018 and June 2021 there have been 349 knives recovered by the Metroplitan Police in the South East BCU (which includes Bexley). This data captures all knives recovered regardless of the method, including those recovered from stop and search, the execution of search warrants, weapon sweeps and voluntary surrenders.
Unless being kept for evidential purposes all the knives are collected in bulk from the police exhibits central location by a registered ironmonger who takes them to a foundry for melting.

Confiscated knives

Susan Hall: For each year financial year, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2018/19, 2019/20 and 2020/21 how many knives were confiscated by the Met police, and what happened to the knives e.g. destroyed?

The Mayor: Full data is not available across the periods requested.
Between April 2018 and June 2021, the Metropolitan Police recovered 8,663 knives. This figure captures all knives recovered regardless of the method, including those recovered from stop and searches, the execution of search warrants, weapon sweeps and voluntary surrenders.
Unless being kept for evidential purposes all the knives are collected in bulk from the police exhibits central location by a registered ironmonger who takes them to a foundry for melting.

Promotion and LFB

Anne Clarke: What assessment has been made of the way in which promotion opportunities are communicated and whether this may exclude some groups of staff?

The Mayor: Promotion opportunities for all staff groups are communicated via London Fire Brigade (LFB)’s internal website and will also appear on the external website for external opportunities. Operational promotion rounds are currently communicated via advertising of the roles internally for two weeks through LFB’s vacancies webpage, and also through the operational structure. However, following feedback from LFB staff through Trade Unions and Equality Support Groups, LFB is now working on how the organisation can communicate promotion opportunities more effectively. In the short term, this includes developing operational promotions guidance and building a headline bulletin on the LFB website for all future rounds of promotion. In the longer term, work is ongoing with LFB’s internal communications team on looking at options such as operational WhatsApp groups, or another direct messaging platforms.

Action Plan cannabis academic research

Caroline Russell: In your November 2020 policing Action Plan, you said: “MOPAC will commission independent academic research, using open-source data, to assess the effectiveness of cannabis enforcement in relation to tackling violence in London.” Has this begun, what stage is the research at, and when can we expect its conclusions?

The Mayor: The research was put out to tender following publication of the action plan, with MOPAC selecting a provider earlier this year. The research has started, with delivery of the final report expected in the winter.

E-scooter seizure demographics

Caroline Russell: Could you provide demographic data on the: a) ethnicity, b) age, andc) gender of all people who have had e-scooters seized by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) this year?

The Mayor: There is no statutory requirement for an officer to record the ethnicity, gender or date of birth of an owner at the point of seizure. There is also no obligation for the rider to provide this information.As such, the Met do not have the data to be able to report against this.

Links between aviation noise and health

Zack Polanski: Have you made use of the new evidence from the September 2020 review of aviation noise and health by the Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise (ICCAN) in a response to the Government consultation on night flights restrictions?

The Mayor: Aviation noise remains a fundamental concern given the impacts it has on the health and well-being of Londoners. The Greater London Authority and Transport for London draws on a wide range of evidence to support consultation responses and other representations on this issue.
Officers are aware of the ‘rapid evidence assessment’ of other studies, commissioned by the Independent Commission on Civil Aviation Noise (ICCAN), which sought to cast doubt on the existing evidence for the health impacts of aviation noise. It did support the need for further research, and much more can be done to act on the findings of the scientific studies already undertaken. The ‘Survey of Noise Attitudes 2014: Aircraft Noise and Sleep Disturbance’ (SONA) is a case in point, and it is disappointing that although this significant study was undertaken in 2014, its publication was delayed by the Civil Aviation Authority until July 2021.

Met's communications department (1)

Shaun Bailey: How many people are employed by the Met’s press and communications department?

The Mayor: The Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) Directorate of Media and Communication currently has 92 staff. Staff work in a range of specialisms including the 24/7 press office, internal communications, campaigns/marketing and digital communication.
Currently 39 of DMC’s staff work as media officers providing 24/7 press office support to operational colleagues to fight crime, respond to major incidents and engage with London’s communities on priority issues such a violence. Three of these posts are directly funded by Counter Terrorism to support nationally critical work in this area.
24 staff (one of which is CT funded and five of which are on fixed-term contracts to support the Met’s Transformation programme) work in Internal Communications keeping our workforce informed on key organisational operational and policy issues through a range of channels including staff engagement events.
15 staff members work in Campaigns and Marketing delivering advertising campaigns to encourage Londoners to become police officers and to give Londoners crime prevention advice on a range of issues from street robbery to serious youth violence. This team are part funded by the Home Office National Uplift fund for their police officer recruitment campaign activity.
DMC’s staffing also includes six digital communication specialists supporting the Met’s use of social media channels to engage directly with the public. There are seven members of the Senior Management Team directing and overseeing the work of each of these areas and one staff member providing administrative support.

Access to IT for Older People through Libraries

Hina Bokhari: Given the impact of the pandemic on older Londoners, what will you be doing to increase and promote adult education access and access to IT equipment and resources in such places as libraries and community centres to help older people back to work?

The Mayor: Libraries and community centres play a vital role in digital access. As part of the London Recovery Programme, London Councils and I have prioritised Digital Access for All as one of the missions to ensure that ‘Every Londoner has access to good connectivity, basic digital skills and the device or support they need to be online by 2025.’
I am supporting the London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI) to deliver the Digital Inclusion Innovation Programme (DIIP). A key part of that programme is developing a 'minimum access package' for Londoners through a series of programmes run by LOTI and working with boroughs and others. Initial projects include examining device upcycling from large employers to increase the supply of devices to those who need them and work on a comprehensive map of digital inclusion to enhance the reach of initiatives (including signposting the Basic Skills offer for adult Londoners). The Chief Digital Officer for London has met with London's librarians and it is anticipated that future DIIP programmes will involve further work in this area.
The Adult Education Roadmap for London is currently being consulted on that, this sets out how I will use the devolved AEB to ensure skills and employment opportunities are more accessible,impactfuland locally relevant through investing in physical and digital learning spaces.
This builds on other successful short-term interventions to promote greater accessibility to Adult Education introduced in direct response to the pandemic, including the £11m COVID-19 Response Fund for AEB providers to expand their online provision, adapt courses, and build capacity to ensure they are equipped to reach learners at risk of digital exclusion.

Pioneer Community Approach Pilot

Emma Best: On June 14th the Assembly unanimously passed a motion calling on the Mayor to pilot a Pioneer Community approach in London. Will you support this call?

The Mayor: The importance of understanding Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) cannot be underestimated and the work which the Violence Reduction Unit (VRU) is leading on places a strong focus on adopting a public health approach to reducing vulnerabilities.
It is currently shaping a pilot to support young people who have been affected by domestic violence; it is strengthening the mental health and guidance of parents and carers having listened to their needs; and is investing in school primary programmes to develop healthy relationships as a means of building individual resilience.
The VRU Director & Deputy Mayor for Education and Childcare has met with the London ACEs Hub already in existence and is keen to do further work with them.
The Mayor’s three Early Years Hubs (funded from January 2018 to December 2020) in Barnet, Newham and Wandsworth and Merton, brought together local partners to improve the quality of and access to early years provision. The hubs collectively supported 500 early years providers and over 3,000 practitioners.

Sustrans contracts

Susan Hall: Can you set out the detail of the tendering and/or procurement processes involved in the awarding of the contracts referred to in the answer to MQ 2021/0730?

The Mayor: Bike It Plus
Transport for London (TfL) supported the Bike It programme developed and run by Sustrans using Section 159 grant funding, rather than a procurement process. The funding was awarded following a review of how to support TfL’s target of achieving 1.5 million cycle journeys per year by 2026. The 2017/18 Bike It Plus programme was chosen in order to explore a holistic approach to influencing travel choices on the school run. The programme was primarily funded by participating Boroughs using Local Implementation Plan funding with this contribution from TfL and Sustrans own contribution to deliver intensive engagement with 69 schools across 10 boroughs engaging circa 19,800 pupils in London.
Healthy Streets Officers
This contract was awarded following a competitive tender using the Restricted procedure which was advertised in the OJEU.
Prior Information Notice: https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:555306-2018:TEXT:EN:HTML
Contract Notice: https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:108009-2019:TEXT:EN:HTML
Contract Award Notice: https://ted.europa.eu/udl?uri=TED:NOTICE:68917-2020:TEXT:EN:HTML

Targets for Priority Home Fire Safety Visits

Anne Clarke: The numbers of priority Home Fire Safety Visits (HFSVs) for high risk people and places dropped during the pandemic. How will this be resolved as London moves into a recovery period?

The Mayor: Whilst London Fire Brigade (LFB) continued to deliver essential Home Fire Safety Visits (HFSVs) to those at the highest risk during the pandemic, the overall numbers were reduced. In 2019/20, we conducted 33,738 visits to vulnerable residents, accounting for 44% of all visits. During the pandemic, HFSVs for high risk residents totalled 8,876 visits; equating to 51% of all visits carried out. Face-to-face HFSVs have resumed, focusing on those at higher risk of injury or death from fire, while also scheduling visits to those on the waiting list.
Additionally, LFB has updated their digital content, launching an interactive digital Hazard House highlighting where risks can be found in a home together with advice on how to prevent a fire; and the Home Fire Safety Checker, allowing residents to determine the fire risks in their own properties. Borough Commanders continue to work with partners to promote HFSVs through referrals.

LFB and Engaging Young People (3)

Anne Clarke: Has funding of the Fire Cadets scheme been increased in order to allow it increase capacity following the closure of the LIFE programme?

The Mayor: Yes. Following LFB’s Youth Review in 2020, £608,125 of funding that was allocated for LIFE has now been reallocated towards Fire Cadets to deliver Fire Cadet Units to all 33 London boroughs. The remaining £270,661 of the LIFE funding was allocated towards permanent savings due to the impact of COVID-19 and reductions in core budgets across London Fire Brigade. Fire Cadets has seen significant funding increases over the last year or so through the reallocation of the money for LIFE but also through the Mayor’s additional funding in 2019, which allowed the programme to expand to all London Boroughs.

MOPAC Funds (6)

Sem Moema: How many Independent Sexual Violent Advocate (ISVA) and Independent Domestic Violence Advocates (IDVA) services are MOPAC supporting with funding and how many people are those services supporting?

The Mayor: In 20/21 over 40,100 victims of domestic abuse and 12,000 victims of sexual violence were supported by services funded by MOPAC, of which 3,886 received support from an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) and 850 from an Independent Sexual Violence Advocate (ISVA).
In this financial year MOPAC is directly commissioning 16 providers to deliver IDVA services and 10 providers to deliver ISVA services. Across these services MOPAC is funding 80 IDVAs and 55 ISVAs.
MOPAC also contributes to domestic abuse and sexual violence service provision commissioned by local boroughs though the London Crime Prevention Fund, which will include local IDVA and ISVA provision.

Crime levels in Southern Camden

Anne Clarke: Residents in southern Camden have put together a bid for funding from the Home Office to reduce high levels of crime in the area. The bid is supported by the Council and local MP. However, MOPAC is not supporting this bid. Why?

The Mayor: Please see my response to Mayor's Question2021/2819.

Car free day

Hina Bokhari: What were the reasons for TfL not taking part in car free day in 2021 and when was the decision made to not proceed with celebrating this day? What are your plans for recognising car free day in 2022?

The Mayor: Delivering a large-scale car free day event that includes road closures takes many months to plan and involves consultation with local stakeholders including boroughs, businesses and residents. Transport for London (TfL) made the decision not to go ahead with the event in June as the pandemic had significantly impacted the capacity and resources of the Greater London Authority, TfL and the London boroughs.
Instead, my focus for this year is on the delivery of transformational changes that will reduce car use and clean up London’s air permanently, such as the world-leading expansion of the Ultra Low Emission Zone in October, and the continued delivery of our Healthy Streets and Streetspace programmes, including segregated cycle lanes, junction improvements, low-traffic neighbourhoods and school streets.
Working with TfL, I will continue to explore options for future car-free days in London, including in 2022.

Enforcement of Illegal Private E-Scooter Use

Caroline Pidgeon: Many Londoners remain unaware that, outside of the e-scooters being used in trials across certain parts of London, private e-scooter use remains illegal on public roads and pavements. Many Londoners have contacted me to raise concerns over the illegal use of e-scooters on roads and pavements across the capital in recent weeks. How is the Met working to clamp down on illegal e-scooter use?

The Mayor: Private use of e-scooters in any public place remains illegal and is managed by the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS), the City of London Police and the British Transport Police. The use of privately-ownede-scooterson public roads is not covered by the trial and remains illegal in the UK, as does riding any e-scooter, rental or private, on footways.The MPS will continue their work engaging with e-scooter users, and where necessary, will enforce the legislation regarding the use of privately-ownede-scooters on public roads. Police officers also seize illegal e-scooters.Over 1,100 e-scooters were seized in police operations throughout London during June alone, with 2,050 having been seized so far this year.

MOPAC Funds (3)

Sem Moema: How many schools have taken up the offer of knife wands? Please provide the total and a borough breakdown.

The Mayor: 300 schools have taken up the offer of MOPAC-funded wands. A breakdown by borough is provided in the table attached.

The Mayor: 3212 Attachment MOPAC Funds.pdf

Metropolitan Police Service ethnicity categories

Caroline Russell: A response to a freedom of information request from the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) from 2019 (Ethnicity of perpetrators and victims of knife crime in London from April 2008 to November 2018) uses ethnicity categories such as ‘Dark European’, ‘Oriental’ and ‘Arabian/Egyptian’. Could you tell me if these categories are still in use?

The Mayor: Due to the age of some of the Metropolitan Police systems, terminology which I recognise is inappropriate is still being used when recording ethnicity in structured (drop down) fields. With the imminent implementation of Connect, the Met will be unable to change these fields in CRIS.
The Met are sensitive to the need to align appropriate terminology using Criminal Justice Data Standards (CJDS). To do this, they have agreed that as an interim measure all analysis and insight (or presentation of dashboards and data) will be aggregated and reformatted to use appropriate terms.
Future systems will record ethnicity aligned to the categories published in the Criminal Justice Data Standards Catalogue (version 6)for both Self-defined ethnicity (18+1 standard) and Officer defined ethnicity (6+1 code).